You spend more time with the people you work with than you do with your own family, so chances are you’re going to encounter the same kind of strife and discontent you sometimes do at home. And just like in a marriage, sometimes you might find yourself at a crossroads wondering if your team is still the right fit for you and your business.
As a business owner, your relationship with your team often transcends the typical employer-employee dynamic. This close-knit environment can foster a strong sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. However, it can also lead to complicated emotions when things aren’t working out. The hard truth is that many business owners, despite working tirelessly alongside their team, still feel overwhelmed, maxed out, and see their businesses plateau.
Each year you might find yourself making financial gains, but still not reaching goals and often at the expense of your personal time, relationships and even freedom. Despite everyone’s best efforts, the problem isn’t always what they’re doing—it’s who is doing it. Like personal relationships, what felt like a great fit initially may no longer serve your business as it grows.
Holding onto the wrong team can stunt your business’s potential and sacrifice new opportunities for growth. This realization can be both daunting and heartbreaking, especially when you’ve invested so much time and energy into your current team. So how can you be sure when it’s time to make a change?
Recognizing when it’s time to “divorce” your team to drive your business forward is a crucial skill for any successful entrepreneur. It requires a delicate balance of emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and unwavering commitment to your business’s long-term success. Here are several indicators it might be time for a change:
Identify Leadership Gaps
One of the most telling signs that it might be time to part ways with your team is when you notice significant leadership gaps. These gaps often manifest as a lack of initiative, an inability to make decisions without constant guidance, or a failure to take ownership of projects and outcomes.
As a business owner, you might notice a gap in leadership because you still are involved in absolutely every aspect of your business from administration, client management and even sales! One solution I suggest business owners take is looking to see if your current team members are aligned with leadership roles that match their core motivations? I use a diagnostic tool called the WHY assessment that helps me assess team members’ motivations and then can identify how they might struggle in terms of leadership growth. For instance, a team member with a ‘Better Way’ WHY might be great at improving processes but struggle with the people management aspects of leadership because they lack focus. Similarly, someone with a ‘Challenge’ WHY might be too focused on innovation to effectively manage day-to-day operations. If you find yourself constantly having to micromanage or step-in to handle tasks that should be managed by your team leaders, it’s a clear sign that your current team structure may not be serving your business growth needs.
Address Communication and Productivity Issues
Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful business. If you’re noticing persistent miscommunications, missed deadlines, internal battles or a general lack of productivity, it might be time to reassess your team dynamics.
Communication is a horrible drain on your personal time and productivity within your business. If you notice that you are dealing with communication challenges on a regular basis, you can look at how your team members’ WHYs are interacting. You might be pairing individuals who have no idea how to communicate and could use training or perhaps – separation. For example, when you pair a ‘Make Sense’ WHY individual with a ‘Simplify’ WHY person on projects that require detailed analysis, are you seeing the team members at odds about the final deliverable? Both sides have different visions for what is necessary and could use support to see how each of their various strengths might lead in this situation. Additionally, if you find that tasks are taking longer than they should, or that there’s a constant need for clarification and rework, it might indicate that your team’s skills and motivations are no longer aligned with your business needs.
Tackle Retention and Hiring Challenges
High turnover rates or difficulty in attracting and retaining top talent can be a red flag (it can also feel like you’re in a constant state of divorce from your team). High turnover rates might indicate that your current team culture or structure is not conducive to growth and satisfaction. This might be a problem with vision, conveying what is necessary or simply attracting the wrong people to execute your plan. Consider whether you’re hiring based on a clear understanding of the WHYs needed for each role. Are you attracting individuals whose core motivations align with your business goals? Are you hiring people who are just like you, or perhaps do you need people with complementary skills? If you’re constantly struggling to find the right fit or keep good employees, it might be time to reassess your entire team structure and hiring approach.
How to Approach the Transition
If you’ve identified that it’s time to make changes (and yes – divorce your team), approach the transition with empathy and strategic planning. Here are a few thoughts on how to approach the transition::
- Communicate openly and directly: Be honest about the challenges your business is facing and the changes needed. Sometimes we hide when things aren’t going right because we feel we’ve failed – but open communication simply brings forward what is already known, but not said. Remember to frame the conversation around business needs rather than personal shortcomings.
- Offer support: For team members who won’t be part of the future structure, offer support in their transition to the best capability of your business. This could include recommendations, career counseling, or assistance in finding new opportunities. Remember, burning a bridge is never a good strategy.
- Plan strategically: Before making any moves, have a clear plan for how you’ll restructure your team. Consider the WHYs needed for each role and how they’ll interact to drive your business forward. Understanding an individual’s WHY can be the best diagnostic tool in your arsenal.
- Support your remaining team members: For team members staying on, be sure to communicate your vision for the future and how they fit into it. This is again an opportunity to own your past mistakes and get support from your team forward.
Feel Confident About Building the Right Team to Fuel Future Growth
Once you’ve made the difficult decision to part ways with some or all of your current team, focus on building a team that aligns with your vision for growth. Use your understanding of the 9 WHYs to create a diverse, complementary team structure. Remember, the goal isn’t to find people who are just like you, but to build a team with a mix of WHYs that can drive your business forward. A ‘Contribute’ WHY person might be great for client relations, while a ‘Mastery’ WHY individual could excel in product development. A ‘Better Way’ WHY might be great for clients who need to think differently and a ‘Clarify’ person to get to the bottom of things and create understanding. By aligning your team’s innate motivations with your business goals, you’re setting the stage for unprecedented growth and success. It’s not just about having the right skills, but about having the right driving forces behind those skills.
Making the decision to ‘divorce’ your team is never easy, but sometimes it’s necessary for the health and growth of your business. By approaching this process with empathy, strategic thinking, and a clear understanding of what motivates people, you can navigate this challenging transition and emerge with a stronger, more aligned team ready to take your business to new heights.
Linda Perry is a master mindset coach, business strategist, speaker, and recovering attorney. With 17 years of experience as a federal criminal defense attorney in Chicago, Linda transitioned to coaching and business strategy, helping hundreds achieve greater freedom, financial success, and balance. She is passionate about helping others crack their success codes and has helped hundreds of companies increase team motivation and communication processes. She is certified by the esteemed Ford Institute and the Levin Life Coach Academy, where Linda is the lead business instructor. For more information, please visit https://lindamperry.com/
Talking to team stock image by Studio Romantic/Shutterstock